Chapter One
©Bethany Shay Porteous 2016
My room was covered in darkness as my eyes flickered open tiredly. A sound had woken me from my light sleep and I slowly looked over toward my window, frowning tiredly as I realized it was open, the curtains billowing in the wind.
Why was my window open?
Sighing tiredly I climbed out of bed and walked over to my window, trembling from the draft as I pulled my lace night dress tighter to my body. There was no moon tonight and I let my eyes flicker to the street below, noting that the pack was still asleep. I pulled the window shut and locked it; double checking to make sure it was actually shut.
Like I had done before I had gone to bed.
Something grabbed me.
Someone.
I went to scream as I struggled with the arm wrapped around my waist, only to have a rough palm clasp over my mouth, his voice hushing me in my ear. My chest heaved violently as I tried to catch the reflection of this imposter through the window. All I could see was my terrified face, eyes wide as the hand stayed firmly over my mouth.
His thumb grazed over my hip as he tightened his hold and I tried not to feel dizzy as my stomach flipped from the sensation.
What was going on?
"Soon I will come for you," he growled quietly in my ear. "My mate."
~
I awoke harshly, my chest heaving as my dress was covered in sweat. My mouth felt dry and my panic from that dream was at an all-time high. A gust of cold air hit me and I shivered in shock as my eyes fitted over to my window.
It was open.
Daylight streamed in and I could hear children playing in the street below .I didn't want to get up and shut it; my dream was too fresh in mind, along with the stranger who had made an appearance in it. The stranger whose touch made my mind go foggy and my heart race.
"Ella!" My younger sister Caitlin burst into my room, her eyes wide as she fastened her gown around her body. "Dad wants us both downstairs immediately, it sounds really serious!"
I quickly got out of the bed, scooping up my blue robe and putting it on as I followed after Caitlin. We walked downstairs quickly and I found both my parents in the lounge room, waiting patiently.
My mother looked drawn and tired, her vibrant red curls clipped back. My father stood facing the fireplace and I knew this would be a serious talk. They both looked so nervous.
"Morning," I murmured as I kissed my mother's forehead. She smiled softly at me and pulled me down beside her. Caitlin bounced down on the other side and we all looked expectantly at my father.
"Girls," he started with a heavy sigh as he turned to face us. "For the last four months we've been at war with the Jaxton pack. You know this." We all nodded and he folded his hands behind his back. "They're winning; I'll put it that way. They're getting to close to the pack border and I fear it will not be long before they breach it and take the pack."
Fear settled in my stomach.
"I had advised our Alpha I intend to step down from my position as Beta," he said solemnly and we all gasped. "We are to pack our things and leave the territory. He thinks I am overreacting but if that pack – if that pack breaches then everyone will die and that is a fact. He will breach. I would rather live like rogues then watch those vile barbarians kill my family."
Leave the pack? My body was twisted in nerves at the thought of leaving my pack and Alpha. My mother shared my expression, along with Caitlin. My loyalties lay with my Alpha, as did any good wolves and my heart was torn in two. If the Alpha said it wasn't such a big deal, then surely he would know.
"Father, you do know what you're asking of us right now, don't you?" Caitlin twirled her red curls around her finger nervously. "To renounce our pack and position – to – to turn away from our Alpha..."
"I know it goes against the grain and I struggle with it greatly," he muttered. "But I see death coming this way and I refuse to let you all go with it. The Jaxton pack is ruthless – you know the stories. That Alpha is with his men fighting and our Alpha is not. I've seen how they fight, they take no prisoners. Everyone dies."
"Daddy," Caitlin whispered. "I – I don't know if I can..."
"We have to," he implored. "It's this or death."
"Alpha Jaxton is really out there fighting?" My mother asked with a shiver.
"He is and you've all heard the stories, you know what that pack is like and you know what the man is like who leads them. Girls, I know that the idea of breaking ties with your Alpha goes against everything. But we can't stay."
We'd all heard the stories. The Jaxton pack was named after the Jaxton family, who had retained the title amongst them for the last fifty years. Each Alpha brought with them their own horror stories, but no Jaxton wolf was to be crossed or messed with and this new Alpha, who was out there fighting had only been in power for three years – and he had his own reputation already.
Our packs were fighting for more land; they were trying to take ours because their pack had expanded.
According to my father we were losing...
"When do we leave?" My mother whispered.
"First thing tomorrow morning," my father instructed. "Pack what you need but travel as lightly as possible."
~
"So you're leaving," my friend Ava muttered as we strolled through the streets. "That sucks. That really sucks. Doesn't you dad know that if the Alpha says we're okay then we are?"
"He's just scared," I mumbled as I kicked a stone. "We'll be back, I'm sure."
"Not with the same rank but," Ava pointed out. "Your dad renounced his position as Beta, you don't just get that back."
"I know Ava."
"What are you guys going to do out there? How will you live? It's a dangerous world out there for wolves that aren't in a pack-"
"Ava!" I snapped. "None of this is helping right now, okay? I just need you to be a friend and tell me that we'll be okay, because you're making my mind near explode!"
There was a small silence between the two of us.
"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I'm just so worried for you."
"I know." There was more silence and I knew I had to lighten the mood. We had reached the end of town and we began wandering through the woods. "I had the weirdest dream last night."
"Oh?"
"There was a guy-"
"You had a dirty dream?" She squealed with a laugh. "Oh Ella, you naughty girl."
"It wasn't a dirty dream!" I gasped with my face flushing. "It was kind of scary actually. My window was open and I went to shut it, and then this guy appears out of nowhere and tells me that he's coming for me and I'm his mate."
"Wow," she laughed. "You're dreaming about finding your mate – like every other girl here."
"You don't think it means anything do you?" I asked nervously.
"No," she told me. "You're just another she-wolf who is of age to find her soulmate and you're dreaming about it. No big deal, we all do it."
"It felt so real," I breathed.
"I bet it did," she laughed. "Come on, let's head back."
~
Lying in bed that night, I found it incredibly hard to get to sleep. My mind was swirling with the fact that at the end of my bed was a small bag, packed with essentials and the fact that tomorrow morning I would be leaving my pack – my family for who knows how long. It felt so wrong to leave my Alpha and it almost caused me physical pain.
Mom had already been sick twice.
I tried to take my mind of it, letting my thoughts turn to the strange dream I'd had last night. It had been flitting in and out of my mind all day and every time I thought of it my stomach would do that giddy flipping that made me nervous.
I'd never had a dream feel so real before.
"Ella!" Caitlin burst into my room, her hair wild. "Ella! Get up, get up now!"
"What's going on?" I cried as I flew out of bed.
"They breached!" She shouted, "Jaxton have breached and they're on their-"
Screams in the street cut off what Caitlin had said and the sounds of feral, angry wolves echoed throughout the town. My skin went cold and I felt frozen to the spot as my mother raced upstairs, my father quick on her heels.
"I have to go fight," my father growled. "I want you girls to make for the hills as fast as you can, do not stop for anyone, do you hear me?"
"Yes!" Caitlin shrieked in panic.
With one last glance my father was gone and my mother began shaking. "We have to go!" She gasped as she gripped our arms. "Let's go, now!"
Everyone was screaming outside and when we made it to the front step it was both a flurry of humans and wolves running around. Those who had made it past the initial shock had shifted into their wolves and I knew Caitlin and I had to do the same the only problem would be trying to clear our minds enough to do so.
The three of us made it into the crowd, all heading in the same direction. My feet were being cut up on the harsh road beneath us and each step hurt. I needed to shift, but each time I tried – I just couldn't.
The vicious growls got closer and closer and suddenly it was upon us.
People were being taken down left and right and I knew it was a matter of time before something grabbed me. I kept running Caitlin managed to break into her wolf which was a surprise; she was usually the most frantic out of the two of us.
Why couldn't I shift?
My heart raced in my chest as I turned to look over my shoulder. Panic only grew within me when I realized I couldn't see my mother or Caitlin. Frantic faces ran past me as I stopped to search, everyone shoved and pushed and giant fury bodies launched their way through the crowd, knocking people over.
"Caitlin?" I cried out as I looked around. "Mom!"
I couldn't see either of them as I turned around once more, a giant black wolf ran right at me and I was knocked to the floor, my head smacking hard on the ground below before everything went quiet and dark.
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